Seat construction



M. A. GARRETT.

SEAT CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.21, 1919.

,356,202. Patented ot. 19,1920.

1 elf UNITED STATESV MYERS A. GARRETT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNO F ONE-HALF IO-CARLTON GARRETT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND ONE-HALF TO W. I-I. TAGGART, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

- SEAT CONSTRUCTION.

Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

Application filed January 27, 1919. Seriall No. 273,335.

To @ZZ fio/wm t may concern.'

Bc it known that I, MYnRs A. GARRETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seat Construction, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in seats, or chairs for public halls, theaters, and the like.

@ne of the objects of my invention is to provide an eiiicient, serviceable seat with minimum obstruction below fthe seat, so as not to hinder convenient sweeping and scrubbing of the iioor below the seat structure.

Another object of my inventionI is to simplify and cheapen the cost of construction by superposing a series of individual chairs upon one common beam or bent without requiring separate supports for each chair.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a seat that will afford more aisle room between adjacent rows of seats, when the seats are vacant and foldedback.

And another object of myk invention is to dispose the folded back portion of the seat in such manner that its normally under surface upon which the hat holding spring is carried, will be presented in suchV manner as to render the occupants hat more convenient of access.

Theater chairs, or seats as usually constructed, are not staunch or suciently strong to withstand the severe usage to which they are usually subjected and as each chair requires a separate support and a multiplicity of parts of relatively small proportion, the arrangement contributes largely to the cost of construction and maintenance of such devices.

In my seat structure I provide a suitable beam, such for example as a channel beam, eye beam, or a beam fabricated by` the use of a fiat elongated plate and suitable girder support, such as one or more T-bars, extending longitudinallyl thereof and riveted at intervals thereto, and upon this I superpose a series of separate individual seats, each seat constituting a fixed part, supported over the beam, and ahinged foldable part, thereby transversely dividing the s eat into two parts, the front part thereof being hinged to the seat portion supported upon the beam, so that it may be folded back over the beam and over each of the fixed parts of the seat; In the reary of the beam and thereon I support a back member of the chair, or seat. I utilize the beam to provide a support for the iixed part of each Y of the seats, which must be sufliciently strong to support the occupants of the chairs in a given bent, or the parts of ther beam between the end supports.4 By supporting each beam, by a standard at each of its ends, the entire floor space below each seat bent is left clear and free of obstruction ,and from six to ten seats may be erected on each beam for each pair of Vbeam supports.

If desirable, an intermediate support, between the end supports of the beam may be employed, where the beam is relatively long and not sufficiently strong to bear the weight of all of the occupants of the chairs, contained between the end supports, without undue deflection. If the beams are not unusually long and are made suiiciently effective or strong then only two supports may be employed for the purpose. I also provide means for joining beams together over a standard or support, so that a series of beams may be disposed out of a straight. `line and the seats may thereby be adapted to conform more or less to a circular formation.

In the selected embodiment for disclosing my invention as depicted in the accompanying drawings showing a part hereof:

Figure 1 is a front elevation broken away and showing parts in section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing part in section.

Fig. 3 is a plan view.

Fig. 4 shows one manner of connecting the beams together.

Fig. 5 is a modiiied form of beam. y

In all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts.

In the plural seat structure herein disclosed, a beam 6, which may be an ordinary -channel beam of proper dimensions, is supported upon a plurality of standards 7. The standards are each, preferably, provided at its top with a laterally extending flange 8, having relatively large openings 9 and l0 to receive bolts 11 for supporting the beam in its elevated position. The openings 9 and 10 are preferably considerably larger in diameter than the bolts so that the beams 6 and 6 may be placed out of true alinement, as shown in Fig. 4, when it is desirable to locate the series of seats in a generally circular formation.

In F ig. 5 I have shown one modification of the beam, in which 12 is an ordinary fiat plate, reinforced by a T-beam 13. Other modifications are within the contemplation of my invention. The object of the beam in this case is to support a plurality of seats.

Each seat is provided with a fixed cushion part 14, which overlies the beam and another cushion part 15 which is adapted to be pivotally moved into the position shown in dotted lines in F ig. 2, when the hinged seat portion 15 is raised. ions 14 is a space, shown at 16, between each adjacent seat, at which point an arm frame 17 is secured to the beam by rivets 0r otherwise, as at 18. Each of the arms carries a laterally projecting hub 19 immediately above the front edge of the fiXed seat part, to which the seat part 15 is pivoted, by links 2O and 21, respectively. On top of the frame 17 is fixed an arm plate, preferably of wood, 22, as by screws 23 which pass through a flange of the frame 17 into the wood. To the bottom of the pivoted part 15, of the seat, is secured an angular piece 23 upon which to support a hat 24, as by a spring clip 25. The object of making the part 25 in this shape is to be able to present the hat in position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and to permit the rim of the hat to pass beyond the lower edge of the adjoining Ilange of the channel beam 6 and furthermore to assist the hinged parts to hold the front of the seat in horizontal position. Projecting laterally from each of the frames 17 is a bracket part 27 to which the backs 26 are properly secured, as by rivets or otherwise.

The fixed seat portion 14 may be secured to the beam 6, as at 28, as by screws 29, passing through the body portion of the beam into a wood portion 30, the springs for this part of the seat being contained in the compartment 31 between parallel portions 30.

rlhe standards 7 may be secured tothe floor in any suitable manner, by bolts, screws or they may be anchored into a cement floor in accordance with the conditions as may be presented in each installation.

While I have herein shown a single embodiment of my invention for the purpose of clear disclosure it is manifest to persons skilled in the art that many changes may be made in the general arrangement and configuration of the parts within the scope of the appended claims.

Between the cuslr Having described my invention, what l claim is 1. A seat structure having in combination a beam; a support for each end thereof; a series of spaced apart arm-supporting frames, secured to the beam; a fixed part of each seat secured on the beam between adjacent arm frames and the front part of each seat pivotally supported on adjacent arm frames and adapted to be folded over the fixed part of the respective seat.

2. A seat structure having in combination a beam; a support at each end thereof; a series of spaced apart arm-supporting frames secured to the beam; a back secured to adjacent frames; a two-part seat between adjacent frames, one seat part being fixed to the beam; a movable seat part, normally in the saine horizontal plane as the fixed part; a pair of links carried by the movable part, pivoted to the respective arm frames in such manner that the 4front of the seat will rest against the back portion thereof when in folded position.

3. A structure of the character described having in combination a beam upon which to carry a plurality of seats; an arm frame having its upper part projecting in front of the beam vand having its two lower ends connected thereto, and provided with a hub on each side of which to connect a inember to be'pivoted thereto and means, carried by thev frame, whereby to support .a seat back.

4. A structure of the character described having in combination a plurality of substantially horizontal beams, each beam having its end openings by which to secure it to a supporting standard; a standard having a laterallyv projecting flange on each side provided with enlarged openings, through which bolts may pass in securing the beam thereto so that the beams on each side of a standard may be adjusted with respect to each other.

5. In a device of the character described having in combination a beam, supported at its respective ends; a plurality of independent seat parts secured at intervals to the beam; an arm frame, secured tothe beam and providingl a hub in line with the front portionof the fixed seat part; a movable seat part pivoted to the hub and having a portion for contacting the front surface of the beam whereby to hold the pivot-ed part in lalinement with the fixed part of the seat and means carried by the said frame to which the back of a seat may be connected.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name.

MYERS A. GARRETT. 

